Nolana hybrida cultivar &#39;Loma Blanca&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultiva of  Nolana  plant named ‘Loma Blanca,’ characterized by numerous single flowers that are white in color with a dark purple veined center; dark purple anthers and pollen grains, freely branching growth habit, no fruit set from self pollination, and good performance in the garden and as a hanging basket.

GOVERNMENT SPONSORSHIP

The present invention was funded in part by the USDA/Cooperative StateResearch, Education and Extension Service, of the United StatesGovernment Under Contract No. 01-90015-0420.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Nolana hybrida cultivar ‘Loma Blanca’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nolanaplant, botanically known as a Nolana artificial hybrid, and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Loma Blanca’.

The new Nolana is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Durham, N.H. The objective of the breeding program is tocreate new compact Nolana plants with attractive flowers, profuseflowering and reduced fruit set.

The new ‘Loma Blanca’ originated from seed collected from openpollination of a proprietary selection of Nolana identified with codenumber UNH N2-46-2 (NOL5), not patented. Seed was collected from agreenhouse-grown plant on Jan. 17, 2003 and sown on Nov. 24, 2003. Fromthe progeny, a single plant N5-OP-24 was selected in Durham, N.H., USA,on the basis of its profuse flowering, compact growth habit andattractive flowers.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttingssince April, 2004, taken in Durham, N.H. has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Nolana are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar ‘Loma Blanca’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Loma Blanca’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Loma Blanca’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Numerous single flowers that are white in color with a dark        purple veined center.    -   2. Dark purple anthers and pollen grains.    -   3. Freely branching growth habit.    -   4. No fruit set from self pollination.    -   5. Good performance in the garden and as a hanging basket.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Durham, N.H., plants of the newNolana differed from plants of the parent selection, in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Flowers of plants of the new Nolana were white with dark purplecenter while flowers on the parent selection were light blue with whitecenter.

2. Flowers of plants of the new Nolana had dark purple anthers andpollen grains while flowers on the parent selection were white.

3. Plants on the new Nolana were less pubescent than plants of theparent selection.

Plants of the new Nolana can be compared to plants of Nolana cultivar‘Nolgold’ (a.k.a. ‘Blue Eyes’) PP14,141. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Durham, N.H., plants of the new Nolana differed from plantsof ‘Nolgold’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Nolana had white flowers with purple center whileflowers on the cultivar ‘Nolgold’ were blue violet and white bicolored.

2. Flowers of plants of the new Nolana had dark purple anthers andpollen grains while flowers on the cultivar ‘Nolgold’ were white.

3. Plants of the new Nolana had smaller flowers than plants of thecultivar ‘Nolgold’.

4. Plants of the new Nolana had shorter internodes than plants of thecultivar ‘Nolgold’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Nolana.

One photograph comprises a side perspective view of one typical 22-cmcontainer of ‘Loma Blanca’ with three plants.

The other photograph is a close-up view of typical flowers and leaves of‘Loma Blanca’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Durham, N.H., in a heatedgreenhouse with 21° C. day/18° C. night set points. After plantingrooted cuttings, plants were grown for about four months in 20-cmcontainers with three plants per container. Color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Color wasevaluated under indirect, natural light.

-   Botanical classification: Nolana hybrid cultivar ‘Loma Blanca’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Nolana identified            with code number UNH N2-46-2 (NOL5), not patented. UNH            N2-46-2 (NOL5) was obtained from hybridization performed by            the Inventor on Aug. 31, 2001, between a non-identified            plant of Nolana paradoxa, and a non-identified plant of            Nolana aplocaryoides.        -   Male parent.—unidentified, seed was obtained from open            pollination in a greenhouse containing multiple Nolana            plants.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About seven days at 21° C.        -   Time to develop roots.—About 15 days at 21° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white, color 155D.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant; moderately vigorous; outwardly            spreading and trailing plant habit; uniformly mounded plant            form. Freely branching habit with lateral branches            potentially forming at very node.        -   Plant height.—About 30 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread), single plant.—About 30 cm.        -   Vigor.—Moderately vigorous.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 15 cm. Diameter: About            2.5 mm. Internode length: 2-2.5 cm. Texture: glabrous.            Color: 144B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: alternate. Length: About            4 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape: ellliptic. Apex: Acute.            Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Bullate surface, mostly glabrous with a few hairs            on midrib. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing            leaves, upper and lower surfaces: 137B. Fully expanded            leaves, upper surface: 137B. Fully expanded leaves, lower            surface: 137C. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Trumpet-shaped; single, axillary.            Flowers face mostly upward or outward and are held above the            foliage. Flowers not fragrant. Very freely flowering,            typically about three open flowers and ten flower buds per            lateral branch at one time.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower from April to            October in the Northern Hemisphere until frost in the            autumn; flowering continuous during this period. Plants will            flower under short or long days in a greenhouse.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About three days.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: 2.5-3 cm. Depth (height): 2.5-3 cm.        -   Flower buds (showing color).—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter:            About 5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 94C.        -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five petals arranged in a            single whorl, fused into a flared trumpet. Petal length from            throat: About 2 cm. Petal width: About 1.3 cm. Shape:            Funnel. Apex: Wavy. Base: United. Margin: Wavy. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, satiny. Color: When            opening, upper surface: 94D. When opening, lower surface:            91B. Fully opened, upper surface: 94D; upper base, 86A.            Fully opened, lower surface: 91C; lower base, 145C.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Five sepals arranged in a            single whorl; three sepals and two sepals fused together at            the base. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 2-3 mm. Shape:            ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and            lower surfaces: 144A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Angle:            About 45° from the main stem. Strength: Moderately strong.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 145A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five,            adnate to base of the corolla tube. Anther shape: Elliptic.            Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther width: About 1 mm. Anther            color: 83C. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 98B.            Attachment to filament: dorifixed and versatile. Filament            length: three short, about 5 mm; two long, about 8 mm.            Filament width: About 1 mm. Pistils: Quantity per flower:            One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Style length: About 8 mm.            Style color: 145C. Stigma shape: Oval. Stigma color: 144A.            Ovary color: 145B.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and/or fruit production is moderate under            open pollination with other Nolana plants. No seed and/or            fruit production from self-pollination.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Nolana have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Nolana.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Nolana plant named ‘Loma Blanca,’ asillustrated and described.